Mariam Kareem secures women’s 400m hurdles final spot with personal-best performance at Asian Games
UAE athletics star Mariam Kareem has qualified for the final of the women's 400m hurdles at the 20th Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026, topping her heat with an impressive personal-best time of 55.14 seconds.
The UAE’s athletics contingent at the 20th Asian Games Aichi–Nagoya 2026 has achieved a significant milestone with Mariam Kareem’s advancement to the women’s 400m hurdles final. Competing in Nagoya on Sunday, Kareem not only secured her place in the final but dominated her qualifying heat, finishing at the top of the overall qualifying standings with a personal-best time of 55.14 seconds.
This achievement comes as part of a broader period of success for the UAE at the Games. Earlier in the competition, fellow national athletics team member Sulaiman Abdulrahman claimed the nation’s first medal of the event—a silver in the men’s 400m final with a time of 44.99 seconds. On Sunday, Abdulrahman was formally presented with his medal, marking a significant moment in the UAE’s Games campaign.
Beyond athletics, UAE competitors have been making their mark across multiple disciplines. In equestrian dressage, Bianca Schütz and Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first two UAE riders to qualify together for the individual freestyle final at a single edition of the Asian Games. Schütz finished 12th in the individual freestyle final with a score of 70.930 per cent aboard Le Grand Ayden HB, whilst Al Jahouri secured 13th place with 68.945 per cent riding Lotus-S.
The UAE’s shooting contingent has also been competitive. Sheikh Mohammed bin Dalmook Al Maktoum concluded the opening day of men’s trap qualification in fifth place, having hit 48 of 50 targets across two rounds of 24 each. Yahya Suhail Al Muhairi finished 26th with 44 targets, scoring 23 in the opening round and 21 in the second.
In archery, the UAE teams faced stiff competition across various categories. The men’s recurve mixed team defeated Nepal 6–2 before a 0–6 loss to India in the round of 16. The men’s compound team fell to India 215–235, whilst the women’s compound team was defeated 225–234 by South Korea. The compound mixed team came within three points of victory against China, losing 150–153, and the women’s recurve team was defeated 0–6 by Chinese Taipei.
Jumana Al Najjar, a member of the UAE national archery team, reflected positively on her performance, noting that she had come close to achieving her pre-competition targets and was satisfied with her personal best at such a high-level event. She identified the opening stage as particularly challenging, with significant nerves during the first round, but managed to focus on technical execution and maintain confidence throughout. Al Najjar highlighted the valuable experience gained from competing against athletes from different Asian schools and styles, particularly world-class competitors, and expressed determination to develop her technical proficiency and consistency as she works towards world-level competition.
The UAE fencing team concluded its campaign in the men’s team épée event with a 36–45 defeat to Hong Kong, China in the round of 16. Additional competitions will continue tomorrow across multiple sports as the Games progress into their second week.
Source: WAM